Thermodynamics of dense matter in chiral approaches

TL;DR

This paper explores the phases of dense hadronic and quark matter using chiral models, analyzing phase diagrams, constraints from quantum field theories, and identifying an exotic phase related to the quarkyonic phase in QCD.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed study of dense matter phases within PNJL models, including the impact of varying color numbers and the characterization of an exotic phase with unbroken center symmetry.

Findings

Identification of a phase with unbroken center symmetry as a realization of quarkyonic matter.

Phase diagrams for different numbers of colors $N_c$ within PNJL models.

Discussion of constraints from quantum field theories and anomaly matching.

Abstract

We discuss phases in dense hadronic and quark matter from chiral model approaches. Within PNJL models the phase diagram for various number of colors $N_c$ is studied. How phases are constrained in quantum field theories are also discussed along with the anomaly matching. An exotic phase with unbroken center symmetry of chiral group has a characteristic feature in the thermodynamics, which can be interpreted as one realization of the quarkyonic phase in QCD for $N_c=3$.